Black Bean Pesto

Black Bean Pesto

Inspired by the New Basics Cookbook, we've reduced the oil, skipped the ham hock, and sped things up with the Instant Pot.

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried black beans
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • ½ of a yellow onion (or one really small one cut in half) peeled
  • 1 bay leaf
  • The cloves from one head of roasted garlic
  • 3 jalapeño peppers, cored and seeded
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems), roughly chopped
  • ¾ cup water (use water from cooked beans)
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon chipotle powder
  • Liberal dashes of Tabasco sauce to taste

Steps

  1. Rinse and pick through beans removing any non-bean things.
  2. Add the beans to the Instant Pot along with 4 cups of water, 2 cups of stock, and the onion. Don't chop the onion.
  3. Pressure cook on high for 30 minutes followed by a natural release of 20 minutes.
  4. Manually release any remaining pressure and check for doneness. If not done, repeat pressure cooking in 5 minute increments with a natural release of 5 for each round.
  5. When done, let beans cool and drain, saving ¾ cup of the bean water.
  6. Fish out the onion, if possible, and discard with the bay leaf. It's no biggie if you leave the onion in.
  7. Add the cilantro, garlic, and jalapeño peppers to a food processor and give it a couple/few pulses.
  8. Add the beans.
  9. With the motor running, process the beans while slowly pouring the oil and water through the feed tube at the same time. Keep your eye on it. You may not need to add all of the liquid.
  10. Add the remaining ingredients and process some more until smooth. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

Pro Tips

  • You may need to work in batches, depending on the size of your food processor.
  • The chipotle powder adds heat plus some smokiness. Adjust with more or less as desired.
  • Play with the water/oil ratio, reducing the oil and adding water until you find the right mix that works for you.

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Recipe Tags

Appetizer
Instant Pot

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